Manchester United will return to the UEFA Champions League next season after a victory over Liverpool ensured they will secure a top-five finish in the Premier League with five games to spare.

Kobbie Mainoo ended a 50-game goal drought with a sensational winner to settle a five-goal thriller, after the Red Devils blew a 2-0 lead established in the first half through Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.

Liverpool took advantage of the hosts' sloppy start to the second half and leveled through goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo before the hour mark, but would end up losing both Premier League meetings against United in a single season for the first time in a decade.

The result made it three consecutive wins for Manchester United, who needed just one more point to secure their place in next season's Champions League after Bournemouth's victory over Crystal Palace earlier in the day.

The Long Road Back to Champions League 

After last appearing in the competition in the 2023-24 season, Manchester United failed to secure Champions League qualification due to league positions that were not even enough for Europa League tickets.

Last season, they finished as low as 15th place in the league, missing out on Europe altogether for the first time since the year following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2014, although their participation in Europe's second-tier competition was secured by winning the FA Cup in 2023-24.

Yet, their hopes of a Champions League return last campaign did not end until the close of the season, when they lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, where victory could have handed them an automatic slot back to Europe’s elite.

Michael Carrick's Impact

Thanks to the mid-season appointment of Michael Carrick, United enjoyed significant improvement. Even before his arrival, it looked as though the club would be back in Europe's premier club competition at the end of the season.

It has been a season of inconsistency for everyone in the league, and Ruben Amorim was able to maintain the fight until Carrick took over; the Red Devils have barely looked back ever since.

With Aston Villa also losing, Manchester United now needs four points from their remaining three games to ensure a third-place finish, while Arsenal's victory over Fulham on Saturday ended any possibility of winning the title.

What Has Changed Since United's Last UCL Game?

It looks like a lifetime ago since Manchester United's last Champions League game: a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich at Old Trafford which compounded their worst European outing, finishing bottom of Group A below the Bavarians, Galatasaray, and Copenhagen.

Since then, the club has been managed by four different coaches, including two interims, Ruud van Nistelrooy and current boss Michael Carrick, while Ruben Amorim has been the only permanent coach after Erik ten Hag. 

The club has also experienced a change in ownership, with INEOS taking over sporting control from the Glazers following the takeover in early 2024 after purchasing a 25 percent stake in the club.

Changes to the Competition

The UEFA Champions League now operates a Swiss-model league phase, where each team plays eight different opponents in one-legged affairs, four at home and four on the road.

The top eight teams secure an automatic ticket to the Round of 16, while teams placed 9th to 24th battle in the elimination playoffs. The remaining 12 exit Europe altogether without heading into the Europa League as they did previously.

The last time the Mancunians played in the competition, it utilized the group format of six games against three different teams, where all four teams in a group meet home and away and the top two progressing into the knockout phase.

Transfer Investment in that Period

Manchester United is a club with a Champions League budget, and their failure to qualify for the competition did not handicap their spending capacity, even though it presented some technical restrictions.

Around €500 million has been invested in incomings, with almost ten major arrivals, which will result in a huge difference compared to the players that featured in their starting XI during their last Champions League outing.

The likes of Senne Lammens, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui, Manuel Ugarte, Patrick Dorgu, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko will all make their debut as United players in the competition next season, provided they remain at the club.

Expectations Ahead of the Return

The summer may see many changes at the club, most importantly, the head coach position, which remains in contention as Michael Carrick has not been assured of his status beyond the summer.

Nevertheless, the former midfielder continues to enjoy his audition, leaving those in the boardroom with a headache as the summer draws closer, with no standout candidate on the list of potential successors.